Punjab bureaucrat says political interference will not be tolerated

A Punjab bureaucrat has said that the civil servants will not allow any political interference.

Shahid Hussain, who is the managing director of the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority, remarked that the bureaucrats will serve their posts legally. Hussain, a grade 21 officer, is also the president of the Provincial Management Services Association.

He was responding to the comments made by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry that the bureaucracy should implement the policies of the government.

“We won’t be pressurised. The prime minister had categorically said that there will be no political interference in bureaucracy,” he said. “We will follow what is written in the book and not exceed our mandate.”

He remarked that some people compromise on their principles to fulfil “petty interests”.

‘Bureaucrats have to work with government’

Punjab information minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan remarked that the statements made by both Imran Khan and Fawad Chaudhry are correct.

“The law and the Constitution state that the bureaucracy has to work with government,” he told SAMAA TV. “However, if the government bypasses the law, then they shouldn't agree.”

He remarked that the opposition is just trying to create a controversy.

“In Punjab, 98% civil servants are working in coordination with me and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar,” he said.

When asked about the controversial posting of Pakpattan DPO following an altercation with Khawar Maneka, the ex-husband of the first lady, Chohan said that the case can’t be compared to that of Model Town, in which the police were ordered to open fire on protesters.

“We criticised the interference of previous governments in bureaucrats because they were killing people, laundering money and using people such as Fawad Hassan Fawad [former Lahore Development Authority official] to grant contracts illegally,” he said.

‘Bureaucrats will implement PTI’s policies’

Fawad Chaudhry, while speaking to the media outside the parliament on Wednesday, said that the bureaucrats have been told to implement the policies of the PTI government.

"Those who want to implement them are free to leave their posts," he remarked. The bureaucrats think that they run the country, he added.